Colombia's ELN rebels free Canadian geologist

BOGOTA Aug 27 (Reuters) - Colombia's ELN rebels on Tuesday
freed a Canadian geologist they had held captive for seven
months, meeting one of the demands by President Juan Manuel
Santos to enable the start of peace talks.

Jernoc Wobert was seized in northern Bolivar province along
with two Peruvian and three Colombian miners contracted by gold
mining company, Braeval Mining. His colleagues were
later freed by the leftist ELN, or National Liberation Army, the
smaller of two rebel groups fighting the government for almost
five decades.

Wobert has been examined by a doctor, said Jordi Raich,
spokesman of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which
helped coordinate his release.

ELN leaders have expressed interest in starting peace
negotiations similar to those under way with the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Santos has made any peace talks with the ELN conditional on
freeing Wobert and all other captives it holds in the jungle. It
is not known how many captives the group holds.